Six Nations 2023 General Discussion

Former Former Former

Couldn't be arsed with the big long OP; here's the Scotland team to play England on Saturday

Hogg; Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Russell, White; Schoeman, Turner, Nel; R Gray, Gilchrist; Ritchie (c), Crosbie, M Fagerson.

Replacements: Brown, Bhatti, Berghan, J Gray, Dempsey, Horne, Kinghorn, Harris.

It's not the worst team they've ever named - wouldn't rule out a surprise here.

Cosmo Kramer

Nearly as many Saffers as Scots in that team.

Will be interesting to see what strategy the SRU go for to plug the gap once the three year project players reach the end of their international careers.

Irish lads with Scottish grannies seems to be the current approach, but surely that's a limited enough pool of players.

After all that, no Ben Healy.

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191671#Comment_120191671

Especially with their U20 set up in a state (not qualified for years U20 world cup).

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191723#Comment_120191723

Was there ever going to be? He's in squad as long term option and likely will get a cap against Italy from bench or will be in set up to get used to things and then get a first cap in world cup warm ups

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191739#Comment_120191739

Paying price for sport being far too small and focused bar the border areas on a small number of schools.

England team named now as well:

15-9, 1-8: Freddie Steward, Max Malins, Joe Marchant, Owen Farrell, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Marcus Smith, Jack van Poortvliet, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum, Lewis Ludlam, Ben Curry, Alex Dombrandt.

Reps: Jack Walker, Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole, Nick Isiekwe, Ben Earl, Ben Youngs, Ollie Lawrence, Anthony Watson.

Debut for Hassell-Collins on the wing, no place for Manu Tuilagi, and Ben Curry in at openside replacing his brother Tom.

Scotland will feel they've a real chance here.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191723#Comment_120191723

I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here and assume you don't understand why Healy didn't make the match day squad.

A lot the talk on the Irish squad is about selecting guys that knows the system, calls, etc and it's obvious that Healy wasn't with them during the recent AIs so he's totally not up to scratch with Team Scotland. It should also be noted that Healy was back with Munster last week.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120192645#Comment_120192645

Did your perceived-slight-against-Munster foghorn go off?

Cosmo Kramer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191834#Comment_120191834

They just can't change the perception of the sport outside the Scottish Borders as a game for middle class, private school educated posh boys.

To be fair it's not for the want of trying, but (other than a recent flirtation with tennis) the wider public there only care about one sport and it's not rugby.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120192847#Comment_120192847

No I got an alert on Twitter

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120192644#Comment_120192644

Well Scotland always had a chance as I see this being a one score game but I actually like that England side, particularly the backline, depends if England hit the ground running but if they do I think they will sneak it.

France: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Gaël Fickou, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Ethan Dumortier, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Antoine Dupont (c), 1 Cyril Baille, 2 Julien Marchand, 3 Uini Atonio, 4 Thibaud Flament, 5 Paul Willemse, 6 Anthony Jelonch, 7 Charles Ollivon, 8 Grégory Alldritt

Replacements: 16 Gaëtan Barlot, 17 Reda Wardi, 18 Sipili Falatea, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Thomas Lavault, 21 Sekou Macalou, 22 Nolann Le Garrec, 23 Matthieu Jalibert

French team has no Jaminet, Ethan Dumortier of Lyon debuting on the wing and Moefana playing at 12. Nolann Le Garrec in line for a debut too off the bench.

Italy: 15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Pierre Bruno, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Luca Morisi, 11 Tommaso Menoncello, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Stephen Varney, 1 Danilo Fischetti, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 3 Simone Ferrari, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 5 Federico Ruzza, 6 Sebastian Negri, 7 Michele Lamaro (c), 8 Lorenzo Cannone

Replacements: 16 Luca Bigi, 17 Federico Zani, 18 Pietro Ceccarelli, 19 Edoardo Iachizzi, 20 Giovanni Pettinelli, 21 Manuel Zuliani, 22 Alessandro Fusco, 23 Edoardo Padovani

One uncapped player on the bench for Italy, and the only big news is probably Tommy Allan playing 10 in place of the injured Garbisi.

stephen_n

France not taking any chances that’s for sure.

PTH2009

Out of interest has it been the same matchday windows each round (ie Wales vs Ireland, England vs Scotland, France vs Italy) since the start of 6N ??

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120200479#Comment_120200479

21, 22 and 23 have been the same.

The most recent after that when we've had the same opening fixtures was 2015

I'm not sure why the last three years have been the same

Bleating Lamb

Anyone doing the 6 Nations Fantasy Rugby game?……bit of fun that ensures you want to keep abreast of how all games go.

PTH2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120200546#Comment_120200546

At a disadvantage already with Gibson Park out

Bleating Lamb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120200634#Comment_120200634

Can change team up to kick off in games.

Clegg

That's a knock on and very fortunate for Italy. They've shot themselves in the foot and played right into French hands on multiple occasions.

razorblunt

Carley is an infuriatingly bad ref.

That grounding was dodgy in real time and he's looking at it. Then patronises the Italians by telling them to calm down. Only to be saved by the TMO.

Clegg

Ntamack is very lucky Ramos was there to gather the spilled cross kick. He butchered an overlap. Would have been easier to go through the hands.

lawrencesummers

italy making it easy for france with their error count

Faugheen

I want to look at it again, but it looked to me that Penaud made zero effort to actually play the ball in that contest with Cappuozzo.

Ben Bailey

VM has Trimble on co comms who 'wonders how much N'tamack knows about Capuozzo'.

Eh, they both play for Toulouse.

lawrencesummers

Cappo was a bit off being able to field it into his hands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120205174#Comment_120205174

TBF, I thought he meant by that comment that N'tamack knew Capuozzo's game well because they were Toulouse teammates, and therefore knew some of his weaknesses.

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120205178#Comment_120205178

But I don’t think Penaud tries to gather it at all. He just jumps and hits Cappuozzo.

I do want to see it again though to be sure.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120205194#Comment_120205194

Naw, looked like penaud was jumping perfect for it to land in his bread basket.

Cappo got his jump and angles wrong and was always going to drop it

Cosmo Kramer

Varney and Allan is a desperately poor 9/10 combination at this level.

swiwi_

The Italian 15 is a class attacking threat. Christiano Culleno.

lawrencesummers

Takes some stones to be that size playing international rugby

fitz

Savage finish from Capuozzo

Ben Bailey

Hmm, several minutes later Trimble called them team mates.

Perhaps someone had pointed this out to him after his previous comment, or quite possibly you're correct & that was his intended meaning.

realhorrorshow

Not a bad half from Italy, could be ahead if they were a bit more pragmatic in their own 22. They really need to find a 9.

France being whistled off the park, especially at the breakdown.

lawrencesummers

I dunno about ye, but if galthie went off at halftime and i was in the dressing room i wouldnt be able to take anything he says seriously when he has those glasses on.

Thrashssacre

If Italy had a 9 they'd be winning.

pickarooney

Italy living a charmed life to be within 5 here. So, so messy in their own 22. French mistakes and a sympathetic ref keeping them in it.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120205272#Comment_120205272

You could argue that France are living off Italy mistakes too. France haven’t exactly been as good they should be given the team they have out.

Could definitely do without the very audible sounds of (presumably) Matthew Carley repeatedly clearing his nose and spitting there during and after that last Ramos penalty.

Good and bad to the ref mic sometimes.

Faugheen

How does the TMO not look at that?

Italy play an insane, suicidal type of rugby in their own 22. They are their own worst enemy.

hold my beer

Cmon Italy. Superb last ditch defence

Cosmo Kramer

France are making a proper mess of this game at the moment. If Italy would only stop with the rugby for the insane under their own posts they might actually have a chance here.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120205376#Comment_120205376

Would have been spectacular from Penaud if it came off, such a beautifully controlled little kick.

SharpshooterTom

Italy are going to win this, the momentum is with them.

eagle eye

Gotta say that extra roll penalty really annoys me. I just hate that rule.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120205388#Comment_120205388

I think they'll starting making mistakes now. Pressure will get to them.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120205394#Comment_120205394

Nah, I think it's a sensible rule. It sometimes can be somewhat harshly applied, but generally I feel it's one of those offences that I know it when I see it, and that was one there from Marchand.

Player knew he was a little isolated, so takes a roll to give his teammates time to get to the ruck. Penalty right call.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120205406#Comment_120205406

You are talking about a specific incident, I'm talking about in general. There's too many times when it seems like it's okay to me and it's blown up. No consistency in applying it so I think it should be got rid of.

We've already had one blown up in the first half of this game which was wrong. Referees are blowing it up instantly without considering whether it's right or wrong.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120205416#Comment_120205416

Disagree - I don't think there's a huge incidence of it being applied badly by refs, but even if it was, that wouldn't be a reason for getting rid of a law that is logical. It would just be a reason for ref's assessors to do more work on it.